The present invention relates to a device for controlling the temperature and/or air humidity in a winter garden.
The term "winter garden " is understood to mean a room generally surrounded by glass and which is either disposed separately from a dwelling house or is, preferably, essentially integrated into such house. Such winter gardens permit the cultivation of plants which otherwise would not be able to pass the wintertime outside in the open nature.
Air conditioning in a winter garden, that is, especially, controlling its temperature and air humidity, means satisfying exacting requirements in terms of building physics. More particularly, allowance must be made for the fact that, under solar irradiation, a winter garden may heat considerably even though temperatures in the outdoor atmosphere would be rather low. The control of air humidity in a winter garden constitutes a particular problem. In fact, when the temperature inside a winter garden is higher than that prevailing outdoor, excessive air humidity will cause the panels of the winter garden to fog with condensation water, which considerably reduces the comfort which may be derived from the use of the winter garden.
If a winter garden is to be habitable all the year over, which is especially desirable when the winter garden is integrated into the dwelling house, one will also have to face serious energy problems. On the one hand, under certain climatic conditions, using a winter garden involves considerable expenses for heating, while, on the other hand, with still other climatic conditions, one must take into account that a winter garden may constitute a source of energy for the dwelling house. It is especially in sunny, cold weather that a winter garden will absorb a considerable amount of solar energy which should not be wasted.